Thimble-embossing machine



Aug. 6, 1929. JOHNSON 1,723,785

THIMBLE EMBOS S ING MACHINE Filed April 2'7, 1928 3 Sh90t$-$h6t l INVENTORQ EdwinFJWuw-on ATTORNEYS;

E. F. JOHNSON 3 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR. 4 Edwdnffohzwon THIMBLE EMBOSSING MACHINE MW) mm *7 /V Aug. 6, 1 929.

ilii I W Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

EDWIN F. JOHNSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

THIMBLE-EMBOSSING MACHINE.

Application filed April 27,

The present invention relates to a thimble embossing mechanism.

In the manufacture of thimbles, it is frequently desired to use the thimbles ad vertising novelties, and to do this 1t is desirable to imprint the name. or trade-mark of the concern or article to be advertised around the base of the thimble. then the name is simply printed upon the thimble it is apt to chip or wear off in use, and it is, therefore, desirable to produce characters of a more permanent nature thereon.

It is the object of the present invention to make a mechanism which will emboss a character upon a thimble or similar article.

In order to attain this object, there is pro- Vided in accordance with one feature of the invention, a rotating spindle having cam actuated feed mechanism thereon to pick up a thimble from a'feed mechanism and insert it into a spring chuck having a band therein with the name to be embossed upon the thimble engraved therein. The spindle is provided. with rollers which roll the metal of the thin'ible into the engraved characters in the band so that they will appear embossed upon the periphery of the thimble upon completion of the operation.

v These and other features of the invention will be more fully brought out in the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1, is a view in side elevation of a mechanism embodying the present invention, with a portion of a spring chuck housing broken away to show the interior coi'lstruction thereof, the mechanism being shown in the operation of en'ibossing a thimble.

Figure 2, is a view similarto Figure 1, showing the spindle withdrawn and the completed. thin'ible dropping from the machine.

Figure 3, is a longitudinal, sectional view through the spindle and spring chuck, showing the device in an operative position.

Figure 4, a view of the thimble holding chuck with a thimble about to be ejected therefrom.

Figure 5, is a sectional view on the line -5 of Figure 8.

1928. Serial No. 273,338.

Figure 6, is a View of an engraved band before being bent to a circular shape for insertion within the spring chue r; and

Figure 7, is a view in side elevation of a thimble after processing in the present mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a support frame A has a tubular sleeve 1 slidably mounted in arbors 2 and 3, said sleeve being provided with a key elsliding in grooves, not shown in the arbors 2 and i-l, to prevent rotation of said sleeve. A collar 5 is rigidly connected to said sleeve by means of a set screw (3, the sleeve being slid.- ably actuated lengthwise of its axis by means of a lug, not shown, riding in a camway 7 in a cam Skcyedl o a cam shaft- 9 mounted in airbors on the rear of the machine. Within the sleeve 1. a spindle l3, rotatably mounted and n'ovided with. a pulley 10 by which the spindle may be rapidly rotated as by means of a belt 11.. v

A feed mechanism C for feeding thiinbles to the machine is supported. upon an angular bracket 12 mounted. on the arbor 3. This feed mechanism is described in detail. in a (to-pending application for a thimble knurling machine tiled on the same day. as the present application, and, it is, therefore, not deemed necessary to describe this feeding mechanism in detail. l

The detailed structm'e of the spindle B is shown in Figure 3. It comprises a shaft 13 rotated by means of the pulley 10. A. pin 14: is screwed into the end of the shaft 13 to project outwardly from (the end thereof. This pin has a freely movable fit within a casing 15. The casing 15 is tapered at its outer, or free end, and has en'ibossing rolls 16 mounted. therein to project slightly beyond the )eri .)her of this tapered nose portion. The tapered outer end of the pin 14- rests against the inner faces of the embossing rolls 16. These rolls are held in position within the nose of the spindle by means of spring steel rings 17 and 18 which exert an outward pressure on the rolls 1G.

The casing 15 in which the pin 14 rotates is provided with a flange 19 around its inner end, which flange is held in position perform the embossing operation. The spindle B is rotatably mounted within the sleeve 1 as by means of bearings and 2G.

-A spring-jawed chuck 27 is mounted in line with the axis of rotation of the spindle B and is provided-with a tapered opening 28 in the end thereof to receive a thimble 29 therein. The periphery of the chuck 27 is tapered to fit into a tapered recess in the end of a sleeve 30 which is slidably mounted in supports 31 and 32. A collar is secured to the sleeve 30, as by means of a set screw 34. A stud, not shown, on the rear of the collar 33 rides in a cam 35 carried by thecamshaft 9. The stud riding in the cam 35 moves alternately the sleeve 30 to the left over the spring-jawed chuck 27 to closethe chuck, and then to the right upon the opposite actuation of said cam to release said chuck.

An ejector rod 36 is slidably mounted within the chuck 27 extending outwardly beyond the outer end of said chuck and be- 'ing connected by means of a rigid cross member-37 to an actuating rod 38. The actuating rod 38jis provided with stops 39 and 40 thereon, which are engaged by a stud etl carried by the ring 5 to actuate the ejector after each withdrawal of the spindle B from the chuck 27, as will-be more fully-brought out later-in the specification.

'An' annular embossing matrix band 42,

which may be of spring steel with-characters engraved therein, as shown in Figure 6, is sprung into position in an annular recess in the chuck 27.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The spindle B is rapidly rotated by means of the pulley 10 and belt 11. The camshaft is operated more slowly and as the cam 8 retates it, co-operates with the stud on the ring 5to carry the spindle B to the right. As the spindle B moves to the right it enters the lowermost thimble held in the feedway C and carries the thimble into the spring-jawed chuck 27. As the thimble enters the chuck the sleeve 30 is moved to the leftby means of the cam 35, as shown in Figure 1. I

The tapered opening in the sleeve 30 forces the jaws of the chuck 27 radially inward forcing the steel band matrix closely about the thimble.

This action grips the thimble and stops its rotation. The spindle, however, continues to rotate within the thimble, the roll 1.6 forcing the metal of the thimble outwardly into the matrix of the band 42.

After a predetcrmincd interval, the cam 3 moves the sleeve 1 to the left, withdrawing the spindle from the thimble and leaving the thimble in the chuck 27. As the spindle is being withdrawn to the left, the cam 35 moves the sleeve to the right, thereby releasing the spring jaws of the chuck 27, which thereupon expand, releasing the thimble which still remains therein.

As the other sleeve 5, carrying with it the spindle B approaches its extreme leftward position, the downwardly projecting lug -11 carried. by said sleeve, strikes the stop 39 and moves it to the left. This stop 39 is secured .to the rod 38, which in turn is securely connected to the cross member'- 37. The other end of the cross member 37 is fastened to the ejector rod 38 slidably mounted in the chuck 2?. The moving of the stop 31) to the left thus moves the ejector rod 36 to the left, ejecting the thimble, as

shown in Figure 2.

The process repeated upon each rotation of the cams S and 35, the stop member it) being engaged by the lug upon moving to the right to restore the ejecting rod to normal before inserting another thimble in the chuck 27.

I claim:

1. A thimble embossing mechanism, comprising a spindle having a power driven inner portion and a freely rotatable outer portion, rollers mounted in an end of said spindle to ride upon the power driven inner portion and to extend beyond the periphery of the outer portion, means having indented characters therein to receive a thimble therein, said spindle being rotatable within a thimble in said means to roll said rollers about the interior of said thmble to force the metal thereof into said indented characters to thereby emboss said characters upon said thimble.

2. A thimble embossing mechanism, comprising a power driven spindle, cam means mounted to alternately advance and retract said spindle, a supply of thimblcs mounted in a fcedway to be entered and carried forward one at a time upon each advance of said spindle, and expansilile member having a recess therein to receive a thimble carried by said spindle upon the advance thereof, a metal band having indented characters therein mounted within said recess, the spindle rotating within said thimble when in said recess to force the metal of said thimble into said indented characters to thereby emboss said characters in reversed form upon said thimble.

3. A thimble embossing mechanism, eomabout the interior of said thimble to force prising a member having a recess of a size the metal of said thimble outwardly into to receive a thimble, a metal band having im the indented characters in said hand to there- 10 dented characters therein mounted Within by emboss said characters in reversed form 5 said recess, a spindle mounted to rotate Withupon said thimble.

in a thimble held in said recess, and rolling In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

elements carried by said spindle and rolled EDWIN F. JOHNSON. 

